Xiaomi Mi 8 Could Launch In India In July

The Xiaomi Mi 8 was launched in China on May 31st. The smartphone was highly anticipated for its design and Face ID-like facial recognition system. Since its launch, the Mi 8, along with the Mi 8 SE and Mi 8 Explorer Edition has sold over a million units in China. The company now plans on bringing its flagship smartphone to international markets as well.

Xiao Zhiyuan, Xiaomi’s Product Marketing Director for Mobile Phones has confirmed that the Mi 8 will launch in international markets. He has conceded that its launch in other countries to begin as early as next month (July 2018). This essentially confirms that the Mi 8 will indeed launch in India as it is the biggest market for Xiaomi after China. Xiao Zhiyuan did not directly confirm the smartphone’s launch in India but, India is a highly probable destination for the notched flagship.

In China, the Xiaomi Mi 8 is available in three variants. The 6GB RAM/64GB storage is priced at CNY2,699 (Rs 28400 approx.), the 6GB RAM/128GB storage model costs CNY2,999 (Rs 315000) and the priciest version retails for CNY 3299 (Rs 34700 approx.) with the same RAM and 256GB storage. Considering Xiaomi’s pricing pattern so far, the Mi 8 could launch in India at a starting price of Rs 30000, which is much more affordable than the OnePlus 6.

The Xiaomi Mi 8 has a 6.21 inch Super AMOLED display (by Samsung) with a 2248 x 1080 px resolution. The unusual resolution is a result of an 18.7:9 aspect ratio. Xiaomi, like OnePlus, has stuck to a FullHD+ resolution instead of a QuadHD+ resolution found in devices like the Galaxy S9.

Under the hood, the smartphone runs on the Snapdragon 845 chipset with 6GB of RAM coupled with 64GB/128GB/256GB of onboard storage. The onboard storage will not be expandable, which has been the case for flagship Xiaomi devices for a while. The fingerprint sensor is placed on the back of smartphones, giving users an option to choose between Face Unlock and a fingerprint sensor.

Powering the smartphone will be a 3400 mAh battery which charges via USB C port. Despite the glass back, the Xiaomi Mi 8 does not have wireless charging. Out of the box, the Mi 8 will run Android 8.1 Oreo with the new MIUI 10 on top. MIUI 10 was also announced at the same event and comes with Xiaomi’s own Xiao Ai smart assistant, similar to Google Assistant and Siri.

The vertically-placed dual-camera setup is also reminiscent of the iPhone X. However, Xiaomi appears to have adopted the design for its 2018 lineup of smartphones. To the back is a primary 12MP RGB sensor with an f/1.8 aperture coupled with a 12MP telephoto lens with an f/2.4 aperture and 1-micron pixel size. The notch houses a 20MP AI camera with an f/2.0 aperture. Just like the iPhone X, it also has a portrait lighting feature and Xiaomi’s own take on the animojis.

The Xiaomi Mi 8, on paper, is a very good affordable flagship smartphone. If launched in India, it will be up against the likes of the OnePlus 6 and Honor 10. The only caveat for the Xiaomi Mi 8 could be the flash sale system.

iGyaan Network was founded in 2010 with a simple aim to simplify technology for the everyday user. iGyaan is today one of the countries largest tech publications with millions of monthly followers. To know more about iGyaan click here.